On April 26, 2026, a group of scientists gathered at the Canelo Hills Cienega Preserve in southern Arizona to reintroduce the federally endangered Canelo Hills ladies'-tresses orchid. This effort follows a decade of preparation and aims to restore the species, which has not been seen in the area since the early 2000s. The team, including conservation biologists from the Desert Botanical Garden and the North American Orchid Conservation Center, utilized specially trained dogs to locate remaining wild orchids and cultivated necessary mycorrhizal fungi in a laboratory to support the orchids' growth.
The reintroduction involved planting hundreds of orchids in various conditions to test different restoration techniques. Initial results showed that seven out of twenty test orchids survived, prompting the team to continue their efforts. The project aims to develop a blueprint for future orchid reintroductions and address the threats ciénegas face, such as climate change and human development. The Canelo Hills preserve, purchased by The Nature Conservancy in 1969, is currently closed to the public, but researchers hope to expand restoration efforts to surrounding ranchland in the future.